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Since CITES CoP15, a number of international fora, such as the INTERPOL General Assembly and the Rio +20 Summit, have acknowledged the status of wildlife crime as a serious crime.

Moreover, wildlife crime has been recognized as one that is frequently associated with other types of serious crime, including corruption and money laundering. It is also known to destabilize society, fuel regional conflicts, degrade the rule of law, hinder economic development and deprive communities of natural resources.

WWF urges all governments at CITES CoP16 to recognize the serious nature of wildlife crime, and the extent to which certain parties have failed to implement their commitments under CITES, which has allowed such damaging and often organized crime to flourish. WWF calls on all parties to uphold their commitments and hold other parties to account in cases of non-compliance.